At a recent workshop I was given a piece of paper and asked to complete the following sentence;
'Autism is...............'
My first thought was to write down, 'Autism is a neurological condition and is characterised by the following......'
How dull. I scrapped that idea.
I decided to let my mind relax and wait for the words to appear. Interestingly each word that popped into my brain was positive, although 'challenging' did make an appearance. I found the experience to be beneficial so thought it a great idea to have another go. For this particular exercise I chose to use each letter of the alphabet (me and my lists!). I wrote down the first word(s) that came to mind and then added my thoughts that came from that word.
Alarming: The thought of what is going to happen to Nick after my death. My only worry.
Bloody hell: What have I let myself in for. Tongue in cheek!
Cheerful: Sometimes that cheerful smiley face of mine is fake!
Development: I feel that Nick's development is an ongoing process and one that I wish to nurture.
Exhilarating: I am so excited about the possibility of taking Nick on future travels.
Frustrating: To be honest, this word rarely appears in my vocabulary.
Good grief: Not sure where this came from. Perhaps a sign of exasperation!
Health: I am very conscious of staying fit and healthy because I have to live forever.
iPad: I am aware that Nick has too much screen time. End of story.
Joy: I cannot lie, it has not been an easy journey, yet this boy makes my heart sing.
Kiss: My boy may not show love in the conventional way, yet his regular requests for family hugs are the bomb.
Love: He is my kid and that's that.
Mindful: RDI has shaped the way I parent and has increased my awareness of being mindful.
Nicky: Has the most awesome big brother.
Open: I am open to sharing our life in order to help others.
Parenting: This journey is going to be a long one, therefore be that 'glass half full' person.
Quiet: Nick is a gentle soul and a bit of a couch potato, like the rest of his family! :-)
Restful: Life for us is calmer, more peaceful.
Special needs: All I can say is, thank goodness for my friends who walk a similar path.
Time: Time heals angst.
Uncertainty: We don't know what the future holds, although we plan to live, love and laugh.
Victorious: Perhaps not the correct word, however, am happy dancing over every achievement
Welcome: My home and school have an open door policy. Feel free to visit.
x: No word comes to mind!
Yes: I find it hard to say no.....
Zigzag: We don't ride a rollercoaster, there are no highs and lows. It's all about changing direction and moving forward.
If you were to do a list, what would it look like?
